The Life Cycles of Modern Artists

There have been two very different life cycles for great modern artists: some
have made their major contributions early in their careers, while others have
produced their best work later in their lives. These patterns have been associated
with different artistic goals and working methods: artists who peak late are
motivated by aesthetic considerations and work by trial and error, whereas artists
who peak early are motivated by conceptual concerns and plan their work in
advance. This paper applies this analysis to the careers of the leading members
from the two generations of painters who made New York the center of the art
world in the 1950s and ‘60s. The results not only yield a new understanding of
the life cycles of creative individuals, but also provide new insights into the
rationale behind the prices paid for works of art at auction.